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Sweet 16 Player Props & Best Bets for Thursday: Round 3 Schedule, Predictions

Rob Paul

Last Updated: March 29, 2024 2:45 PM EDT • 4 min 16 sec read.

Tamin Lipsey of the Iowa State Cyclones brings the ball up court during the first half against the Brigham Young Cougars. We're backing Lipsey in our March Madness player props & best bets.
Tamin Lipsey of the Iowa State Cyclones brings the ball up court during the first half against the Brigham Young Cougars. Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images via AFP.

The third round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament begins Thursday, and we're looking at our Sweet 16 player props and best bets, including Donovan Clingan, RJ Davis, Tamin Lipsey, and Oumar Ballo, based on the best March Madness odds.

The stage is set for the Sweet 16, with four games tipping off on Thursday, including two showcasing No. 1 seeds. The slate is highlighted by March Madness odds favorite UConn, who faces against San Diego State in a rematch of the 2023 national championship game.

The ACC will showcase two teams, with top seed North Carolina set to take on Alabama in a highly anticipated, potentially high-scoring matchup. Additionally, No. 6 seed Clemson seeks to continue its surprising NCAA Tournament run against a strong Arizona team.

Arguably the best game of the day will be the last one, with Illinois' explosive offense going toe-to-toe with Iowa State's feisty defense. 

To accompany our Sweet 16 expert picks, here are our Sweet 16 player props and best bets for Thursday (college basketball picks based on odds from our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Thursday's Swwet 16 best bets

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Sweet 16 schedule and odds

(Odds via bet365)

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Thursday's player props

Donovan Clingan Over 1.5 blocks vs. San Diego State ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +125 via DraftKings

After a dominant performance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, which included blocking eight shots, Donovan Clingan is among the March Madness MVP favorites. The UConn big man has proven to be one of the best rim protectors in the country as the anchor of a defense that ranks ninth in adjusted efficiency, per KenPom.

Against San Diego State, he can continue swatting shots at a ridiculous rate, especially because the Aztecs offense runs through big man Jaedon LeDee. The 6-foot-9 LeDee accounts for nearly 30% of the Aztecs' points and spends most of his time down low in the area Clingan patrols.

"Cling Kong" averages 2.4 blocks per game and has blocked at least two shots in six of his last seven games. The +125 odds at DraftKings are incredible value with a $10 wager leading to a $12.50 profit if he hits the Over.

See our San Diego State vs. UConn expert prop picks for a full breakdown.

RJ Davis Over 22.5 points vs. Alabama ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -125 via bet365

There may not be a player in the country better built to take on Alabama than RJ Davis. The Crimson Tide play fast, shoot constantly, and hang 90.7 points per game (most in the country). They essentially force opponents to match their pace and scoring, which isn't the hardest thing to do against their defense. Alabama allows the eighth most points per game in the country (80.9).

Behind Davis, North Carolina is a Final Four odds favorite thanks to his scoring prowess. He's averaging 21.3 points per game and leads the team in shot attempts by more than six. Davis is the catalyst for an offense that averages 81.8 PPG and he'll need to be at his best to keep up with the Tide.

Over his last four games, he's averaging 24.2 points and that's part of the reason these odds are so short. However, at -125 there's an implied probability of 55.56% that he'll hit the Over, so we're happy to take these odds.

Our C Jackson Cowart dives deeper with his Alabama vs. UNC expert picks.

Tamin Lipsey Over 1.5 made 3-pointers vs. Illinois ⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +160 via bet365

No Sweet 16 game features two teams with more clashing styles than Illinois vs. Iowa State. The Illini are the top-ranked team in adjusted offensive efficiency while the Cyclones are the No. 1 team in adjusted defensive efficiency. For Iowa State to win this game, it won't just need to slow down Illinois' dynamic duo of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask, they'll need to keep up.

Tamin Lipsey is the Cyclones' second-leading scorer at 12.5 points per game, and though not a frequent 3-point shooter, he's accurate when he does pull from deep. He's shooting 39.3% from behind the arc and can exploit an Illinois defense that allowed Big Ten opponents to shoot 38.8% from 3-point range.

Lipsey has hit at least two 3-pointers in three of his last four games and at this price via bet365, this prop is too good to pass up.

Our Illinois vs. Iowa State predictions take a bigger look at Thursday's late game.

Oumar Ballo Over 10.5 rebounds vs. Clemson ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +102 via FanDuel

Nobody expected Clemson to reach the Sweet 16 and now the Tigers have to deal with an Arizona program that ranks among the best in the country. Not only will Clemson be tasked with slowing down All-American Caleb Love, but they'll have to duke it out in the paint with big man Oumar Ballo.

Ballo is among the best rebounders in college basketball with his length at 7-foot and his size at 260 pounds creating mismatches against shorter and lighter bigs. The Mali native is averaging 10 rebounds per game this season and saw that number jump to 11 in Pac-12 play. He's had at least 12 rebounds in three of his last four games and at least 11 in 12 of his last 15 games. 

Over those 15 games, he's averaging 11.3 rebounds per game and Clemson doesn't have the size to slow him down. The Tigers' leading rebounder is the 6-foot-8 Ian Schieffelin, who will have all kinds of issues trying to box out Ballo. 

See our Clemson vs. Arizona predictions for more on Ballo.

College basketball best bets made Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Here are our best March Madness betting sites:

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Written By:
Rob Paul
A diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan, Rob's passion for the NFL led him to the NFL Draft, which in turn sparked his love for collegiate sports. Growing up, he was particularly obsessed with the old Big East, MAC, and the Big Ten. That obsession led him to pursue a career in sports media, first as a local reporter, and now as a betting analyst. There's nothing Rob loves more than spending hours on the couch watching college football/basketball, NFL, NBA, or MLB, and hopefully hitting a few bets.